


the only one I know, the only one on my mind (you've got that power over me)

by theragingstorm



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Anal Play, BDSM, Canon Disabled Character, Consensual Kink, Continuity What Continuity, Cunnilingus, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Femdom, Marriage, Sex Toys, Vaginal Sex, days in the lives of superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:13:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22440085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theragingstorm/pseuds/theragingstorm
Summary: After he returns from a long mission in space, Dick and Barbara finally reunite.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 66





	the only one I know, the only one on my mind (you've got that power over me)

**Author's Note:**

> I have returned! And I will do my best to bring my next chapter updates with me soon enough.
> 
> Title from Dermot Kennedy's "Power Over Me."

It had been six weeks now since she had last seen her husband. 

Barbara had thrown herself into her work, into the never-ending rigors and demands of being Oracle. Communicating with so many people helped, helped fill the unusual silence that had taken over her home; she had gotten so used to noise, to company. And most of the time, it worked, for now it seemed she was nearly always talking to her other loved ones, her friends, what was left of the family here on Earth, so she couldn’t say that she was alone. 

Except for when she took the headset off. Then, she had to admit how odd it was to not have company, to hear no speak, nothing but the whir of the machines and the hiss of the coffee maker, the hum of the radiator and the moaning, lonely sighs of the wind outside her window. To have no one to talk to anymore, nobody to tell what she wanted to say. To go to bed alone, to wake up alone, the other side of her bed cold. 

Even more odd considering that once, what seemed like a long time ago now, she’d completely resigned herself to being alone.

Sipping decaf coffee and tapping at her keys at two in the afternoon on a Friday, she resigned herself to the work of triangulating the Javelin’s signal, to finally check in after weeks of no contact.

It took a while, but sure enough, the hologram bounced from her computers’ projector to her living room, making the group manifest before her. 

“Check in,” she said automatically, her heart secretly lifting upon seeing the missing members of her family.

Bruce, Kate, Cass, and, of course, Dick stood amongst the flickering blue images of the deep-space team. It was a good team; aside from arguably the most experienced members of the Batfamily, they’d brought along Wonder Woman, Troia, Martian Manhunter, Power Girl, Hawkwoman, and two Green Lanterns. To investigate crimes committed throughout space, it made sense to bring as many people not from Earth -- or people whose jobs it was to keep peace throughout the universe -- as possible. 

She also appreciated, for selfish reasons, that the Amazons had gone with her family. At least Diana and Bruce had each other to lean on; at least Dick had his best friend. 

“Everything’s good,” Jessica spoke up. Her voice was slightly distorted by the signal, but she sounded excited; she seemed to bounce a bit on her heels as she chattered on about the details of the case. “And on top of that all, I mean, we actually got everything cleared up today!”

Barbara started; then leaned forward in her chair. 

“Really?”

“Kid’s telling the truth,” Kate agreed. She reached up to adjust her Batwoman mask. “We just turned the perps into custody this morning. Or, you know, whatever passes for morning on that boiling hunk of rock.” 

“Trial’s supposed to start ASAP,” Donna finished. “And John and Jessica sent for another Green Lantern to make sure that happens smoothly while _we_ head home.”

The other heroes nodded, confirming. 

Barbara’s mind raced, and so did her heart, but she cleared her throat, keeping her voice professional.

“So when do you think you’ll leave? What’s your ETA?”

The team exchanged glances. The Bats exchanged grins.

“We left five hours ago,” Cass spoke up at last. A smile flickered just under the girl’s mask; Barbara’s heart leapt. “The Javelin should get back...to the Watchtower...by Friday afternoon.”

Today was Wednesday. 

Bruce cleared his throat loudly as his daughter finished.

“I expect all of the Justice League to be ready to process the paperwork from the case by the time we return,” he growled. 

“Oh, they’re gonna hate that.”

“Hrn. Tell them they can quit their whining, _they_ all got to see your families in the last six weeks.”

“We’re supposed to miss our families?” Donna joked at the same time Karen snarked: “Bold of you to assume most of them _have_ families.”

Cass and Kate snickered, Jessica chuckled nervously, and Dick burst out laughing, making Barbara’s heart flutter, involuntarily drawing her attention to him. 

He’d changed in the last few weeks. His black hair had grown out, almost to his shoulders, looking as thick and soft as a girl’s. But at the same time, his stubble had become a beard, covering his jaw. It wasn’t scruffy or intimidating though, unlike the wild mountain-man look Bruce was sporting, Dick’s just seemed to accentuate his handsome face, making him look older, more distinguished in a way. 

He shifted in place, his broad shoulders still shaking a bit as he chuckled, and her eyes moved over the image of his body, cast in the black uniform that hugged his beautiful body so well. His big arms and strong legs, his tapered waist, the sharp streaks of blue, which she knew almost perfectly matched his eyes, that accentuated his chest and wound down to the tips of his fingers. Fixating on his hands, his warm rough hands, which she hadn’t been able to feel in a month and a half.

She swallowed hard.

“-- Oracle? Oracle?”

Her head snapped up; she mentally admonished herself. 

“Yes, Wonder Woman?”

Diana tilted her head slightly to the side, raising an eyebrow. She shared a brief glance with Donna, but thankfully they said nothing about her lapse.   
“I was just asking if you could notify our assorted partners and coworkers, including the rest of the League; let them know that we’ll be returning in a few days.”

Barbara cleared her throat again, pushing her glasses up her nose. 

“I will. Don’t worry…” She addressed the group at large. “I’ll make sure everything’s prepared for your arrival.”

Bruce nodded approvingly. 

“Thank you, Oracle,” he said gruffly. She heard the undercurrent of warmth in it. “We’ll be seeing you soon.”

“You too. I’ll let the guys know,” she replied.

The hologram flickered one last time and dissipated. 

Smiling to herself, she opened a new line to the Batcave. 

“Tim? It’s me. I’ve got some good news.”

As she talked, she felt invigorated by her new knowledge. So, while she carried on as protocol dictated, as the wind made her windows creak, as white tufts of snow began to swirl outside the glass, she began to plan. 

* * *

After the image of his wife disappeared, Dick exhaled greatly, leaning against the side of the Javelin. 

“Alright everyone,” Diana said brightly, putting her hands on her hips, “Only seventy-two hours left, and then we’ll be back to Earth.”

“Thank Rao,” Karen groaned, slumping into the co-pilot’s chair, bunching her cape up under herself to make a pillow. Thankfully, the Javelin was on autopilot; nobody actually needed to take the controls until they reached Pluto’s orbit or until enemies attacked, whichever came first. “No offense, but living with you guys in this tiny-ass ship for all those weeks...I hated every minute of it.”

“It’s really not that tiny,” John pointed out.

“It does _feel_ tiny after so long, though,” Shayera said gloomily. 

Dick sighed contentedly, taking his mask off and running his hands through his hair. His sister pulled her cowl off, making her shaggy black bob stick up at all angles like bird feathers. 

“It’ll be good to be home,” she said simply. 

“Very much so,” he agreed, thinking of Barbara. Of how she’d appeared in the hologram. 

She’d just been in her usual jeans and big sweater, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, but after so long away from her, he was still totally struck by her beauty. The little red strands falling around her face, how her pretty green eyes were framed by her glasses, the freckles sprinkling her face that he loved to kiss...God, her strong shoulders and arms moving with ease under the soft cotton… 

The last time they’d had sex had been just before he’d left, and in lieu of his wife’s real touch, the memory haunted him. He thought of the hologram, wondering if the curves of her hips and chest were _really_ fuller, like they’d seemed to be, or was his mind just playing tricks on him?

Dick shook his head, swallowing hard, forcing himself to pay attention to his sister again. Cass’s face remained impassive, but with her ability to read body language, he had a sneaking suspicion she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. 

His face warmed. 

“It _will_ be good to be home,” Donna chimed in, heading over to the two siblings. Nearby, Bruce and Kate huffed noncommittally. Donna leaned against the wall, staring out the huge, thick glass window. Before them, millions of stars and planets, tiny glittering points of red and white and yellow and blue, stretched out into the endless, velvety blackness. It rather matched Donna’s suit. “I miss Kory. I miss my kid. And I miss our friends.”

“Me too,” Dick agreed. “And I miss Babs.” Then, hastily: “And I miss my brothers.”

“Me too,” said Cass, “And I miss Alfred. And Selina. And Steph.”

“Me too.”

“I miss Themyscira and all my sisters.”

“I miss Bludhaven and my coworkers.”

“I miss our Gotham,” Cass said wistfully. 

“Great, yeah, and I miss real coffee,” Kate groused. “And a real fucking bed.”

“Me too,” said Bruce. 

Cass and Dick side-eyed them. 

“What? _And_ I miss Renee and Julia and Bette and my dad. And _your_ dad’s whole family circus. Yada yada yada.”

Bruce quirked a tiny smile at his cousin’s words. 

“Hrn.”

“Alright,” Dick couldn’t help but laugh, holding up his hands. Despite himself, the image of his wife and her intense gaze remained imprinted on his eyelids; his heart began to hammer against his ribs, so that he had to press a hand to his chest.

Cass and Donna exchanged looks. In the corner, Diana smiled to herself.

“B, can I clock out? I haven’t showered all day and I kinda need to.”

Bruce tilted his head slightly to the side, but then nodded.

“What you _and_ your dad _need_ are razors; you two look like Hardy and DiCaprio in _The Revenant_ ,” Kate opined. 

Cass giggled. Even with his hammering heart, Dick managed a laugh. Bruce just grunted.

“I choose to take that as a compliment.”

Then he ducked out of the cockpit, quickly running to the showers and stripping out of his uniform. Kicking it aside, he twisted the knob and ducked under the spray of water; Dick braced his hands against the wall, feeling it rush over his body, willing himself to calm down. 

_Just two more days,_ he told himself. _You survived six weeks. You can survive two more days._

His arms trembled. He remembered her laugh, the way she covered her mouth and her eyes crinkled when he said something cheesy, the way her brow furrowed and the tip of her tongue poked out when she was focused. How she looked when she was reading or working, how she tended to bite her lip or the tips of her pens when she was processing.

He smiled despite himself. 

Then his mind began to wander, reminding him of more. Her kisses, whether they were soft and warm as the home they’d built, or whether they were fierce, hungry, and possessive, when she was claiming him as hers. Her strong hands and clever fingers caressing his body, the way she traced over every plane of muscle, then ruthlessly snatched for what was hers, clawing him like a tigress, the way she liked to bite at --

“Jesus Christ, I need to get a grip,” he groaned, turning and flattening his back against the wall. 

\-- how tightly she bound him, how hard she yanked on his hair and shoved him down, how those strong hands left red marks on his body that didn’t fade for so long. But he hadn’t been able to touch her in over a month. 

Dick groaned again. 

Even with the chilly water, the memories were affecting him. Heat thrummed in his groin; he looked down, seeing himself growing hard. 

He hissed through his teeth, grasping himself in hand. With a furtive glance at the door, he squeezed, stroking quick and rough until he spilled into the shower drain.

Dick quickly clambered back into the spray, scrubbing the soap against his skin and hair, watching his cum disappear into the drain, feeling embarrassed, almost ashamed. 

“Get a grip,” he told himself again. “You’ve gone longer without sex before. And Barbara…” He swallowed. “She’s not going to appreciate it if you jump her the moment you get home.”

The stars rushed by, the infinite space nothing but silent in reply.

* * *

She had everything she needed for Friday, so now she also had two fingers buried inside herself. 

Sprawled out on her huge bed, her clothes lying discarded on the floor, she gasped, clenching her lip between her teeth. She could smell her own arousal; she dripped down her own hand, down her wrist, her fingers making little wet noises as they fucked in and out of her pussy. 

Her thumb pressed and circled her clit. She moaned loudly, her unoccupied hand grasping her own breast and squeezing, pinching her nipple till it almost hurt. The metal of her wedding ring was cold against her hot skin; she groaned in pleasure. 

God, she missed her husband. Missed his soft eyes, his kind smile, his big heart. The way he threw his head back when he laughed, how he invariably cuddled whatever was closest to him when he slept. She wanted to be with him, to talk to him. He was so good to her, to everyone he loved, to _everyone_. 

When she saw him again, she wanted to fuck him till he screamed, to make up for those weeks apart. She wanted to feel his lips and hands again, to make him beg and submit beneath her the way they both loved. 

She thought of him underneath her, chest heaving, crying out, coming completely undone at her hands, she pressed down _hard_ on her clit and shouted as she came, as it gushed out through her fingers.

Panting, Barbara withdrew her hand, her thighs and fingers sticky with her cum. With her clean one, she picked up the box of wet wipes on her nightstand, methodically, almost businesslike, wiping down her hand and the insides of her legs. 

“Six weeks of this,” she muttered, tossing the dirty wipes into the wastepaper basket. “I’m going crazy.” She paused. “And if I know him, I know he is too.”

She rubbed the last of the cleaning agent from the wipes into the sheets, then picked up her phone. 

Stephanie answered on the ninth ring, which was about usual for her.

“I didn’t do it,” were the first words out of Steph’s end of the line. 

“Wha -- that’s not what --”

“Oh, you don’t know yet? Well, in that case never mind.”

“Don’t know about what?”

“Nothing.” On the other end came the faraway sound of shattering glass. “Hang on.” Steph’s voice was briefly muffled, as if she’d put her hand over the mouthpiece: “Damian, Jason, you dumbasses, your dad’s coming back this Friday, not next Christmas! And I am _not_ taking the blame for that when he finds out!” Her voice became normal again. “So what’s up?”

Barbara decided, for once, not to ask. Those kids could be Bruce’s problem again now.

“Alfred messaged me about dinner Friday night, a few hours after everyone gets back. Did everyone in the family get that?”

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Something else broke in the distance; Barbara faintly heard Damian and Jason cursing at each other. “You told Tim that the rocket men should be back by early afternoon, yeah? Well, at six Alfred wants the family, plus you and me of course, to have dinner, make up for the last few weeks apart, and honestly I don’t think anyone has a choice in the matter.”

A devious grin began to twist itself across Barbara’s lips. 

She kept her tone nonchalant. 

“So everyone’ll be there? The whole family?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely. The boys and I are even gonna be helping Alfie cook and set the table.” She paused. “Y’know, if they ever manage to clean that mess up.”

Barbara still wasn’t going to ask.

“I’m glad. It’ll be good for you to see Cass again.”

“Completely agreed. Okay, I’ll talk to you tonight, Babs, and I’ll see you Friday. Damian, no! Put that down --!”

The line disconnected. 

Barbara set her phone aside again, stretching across the bed, lazily extending her arms above her head. She glanced over at the closet, at her favorite dress, at a small bag below it, full of new purchases she intended to use. 

She had never been the sort of woman to feel comfortable passively waiting around. She took action, she took command, she worked hard at what she did, she didn’t wait for other people to catch up. 

She had been called many names for this. It wasn’t the sort of thing to make everyone like her, and they weren’t entirely wrong; she _was_ a bossy, demanding control freak. But maybe that was what the people around her needed. If so, then she was glad to provide, to give them what they needed from her.

Exhaling hard, she rolled over, easing herself off the bed and sliding back into her wheelchair. 

There was still work yet to be done.

* * *

The next three days dragged on for Dick. 

They were attacked not once, not twice, but seventeen times on their way back to their sector by pirates, slave traders, Okaaran warlords who’d mistaken them for enemies, Red Lanterns, parademons, a shipload of intergalactic tourists who’d been _very_ drunk, and, at one point, even Lobo (apparently you could potentially get a lot of money for one of the last Kryptonians, which Karen did not appreciate). Dick threw himself into his work, lost himself in helping his team, in taking control of the Javelin while Bruce was barking orders and everyone was struggling not to be blown out of the ship into the unforgiving vacuum of space. Nobody slept for more than a couple hours at a time, everybody snapped at each other all the way across the galaxy. The Watchtower called them when they were somewhere near Tau Ceti, but Hal took one look at the exhausted, five-paces-past-irritable state they were in and wisely hung up.

This had been a _very_ long mission. 

“Nightwing. Nightwing. Dick, wake up.”

Groaning, he lifted his head from the thin pillow on his bunk. Donna was floating a little ways above him, and despite the fact that there were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was unbrushed, she looked excited. 

“Donna, I love you, but please go away,” he grumped. “I’m trying to get a couple hours of sleep in before we reach the Solar System.”

“Honey, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Her voice practically vibrated. “We’re _through_ the Solar System.”

Dick was awake at once; he shot upwards, almost slamming his head on the ceiling. Damn the top bunk.

“How close are we to Earth?” 

“Well...we’re docking in the Watchtower bay right now, so, pretty close.”

Dick ripped the covers off, sliding down the ladder to the floor, gathering up all his things at once. Even though he was worn and tired and hadn’t changed out of his uniform in far too long, the thrill of going home surged through him again. 

The team moved through the bay to the Watchtower’s main room. Several more members of the League were there, working at the meeting table, their heads rising to see the returning heroes. Above them all, the curved glass windows above the meeting table displayed the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and, of course, the blue-and-white globe of Earth, turning to display Africa, Asia, and Australia, with the Antarctic glowing with frost, and a corona of golden sunlight crowning the very planet itself.

Clark flew over, hugging first Diana, then a very stiff Bruce, and then eventually everyone, wrapping up both Cass and Dick at the same time. Dick sighed, then let himself melt into the embrace, into the touch of two loved ones; his sister snuggled up at the same time. They must’ve looked and smelled horrendous, but Clark said nothing about it.

“Superman,” Bruce said roughly. “I --”

“Yeah, I missed you guys too,” Clark said warmly.

“No, I…” Bruce shook his head, sighing. “Nevermind.”

“Yeah, he missed you,” Diana teased, then she sighed too, stretching her big arms up over her head. “Kal, I’m glad to see you, but I desperately need to go back to D.C. and be alone for a few hours, and to possibly shower for the entire length of that. Do you think you could fly by sometime tonight?”

“Absolutely, Di.” 

“I need to be alone for probably the rest of my life,” Karen groaned, but she punched Clark’s shoulder affectionately. “See you around, cuz. Thanks for the welcome.”

Clark let go, and the team dispersed. Donna gave Dick one last, long hug.

“Have a good time with Kory and Robbie,” he told her warmly.

“Oh, I will. Apparently we’re taking him to see _Frozen II_ this weekend.” Donna smiled a little dryly. “The endless joys of having children.”

He laughed. 

“I wouldn’t know. Well, not yet.”

“ _Yet_ ,” she agreed, patting him on the shoulder affectionately. “Honey, you have a good time with your family, and of course, with your wife.”

“I plan to.” 

The zeta-tube ride to Gotham, and the taxi ride to the Clock Tower on the other side of the city, passed by in a blur (though the look on the cab driver’s face at seeing Nightwing climb into his car was rather unforgettable). Dick stumbled into the elevator, and into the living space, almost not seeing what was in front of him. 

That was, until his eyes alighted on his wife.

He stopped dead in the doorway, staring at her. Seated on the couch, turned to face him with one arm thrown over the back, she was in faded blue jeans and one of his white button-up shirts, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her long, beautiful hair was swept over her left shoulder, and when her eyes alighted on him, their intense gaze caught him at once. The shirt was unbuttoned past her collarbone, revealing a hint of skin, the beginning of the soft curve of her breasts, and against that, beneath the white fabric, he could’ve sworn he saw a glimpse of black lace.

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other. 

Then he dropped the bag of his things and dashed across the room, falling at once into her arms. Barbara sighed softly, pulling him close, and he lost himself in her. Her strong arms, the warmth of her body, the scent of her lavender soap. He buried his face in her shoulder, breathing her in.

“I missed you, Boy Wonder,” he heard her murmur. 

“You too,” he choked out. 

It was a while before they pulled apart, just enough to be face-to-face. Still looking at her, he felt her hand cup his face, her thumb tracing along his beard. Then she narrowed her eyes at him.

“ _Don’t_ leave for that long ever again.”

He laughed softly.

“No promises.” But he lifted his hands, caressing through her hair, bringing them down to stroke along her cheek. “But I didn’t enjoy being apart for so long either, believe me.”

“I can tell.” 

For a long time, they just sat together, talking. Telling each other everything that had happened in the last month and a half that they hadn’t been able to fit into their mission reports. All the silly little things, the banal things, the trouble the kids had gotten into and which of the Leaguers talked in their sleep, telling each other how much they had missed each other, over and over again. He was just content to sit with her, to be with her, after so long apart. 

Then when they ran out of things to say, they just held each other. He made eye contact again, taking her hand and placing it on his face again, savoring her touch. 

He felt that hand cup his cheek, her thumb dipping into his dimple. 

“Been a long time since I had the comforts of home.” He kissed the inside of her wrist. “Including you.” 

“Oh believe me, honey, I’m aware of that too.” Her eyes sparked. “And including real showers, and real changes of clothes. No offense, but you stink something truly awful. I’m surprised your suit hasn’t solidified by now.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised too.” When she blinked, he could feel her eyelashes brush the tips of his fingers. “So...okay if I shower before anything else?”

“Please do.” She leaned in, pressing a small kiss to his lips and _God_ he had missed that. “In fact, I’d judge you if you didn’t.”

Dick got to his feet, reluctantly pulling away from her, beginning to walk away from the couch. He’d just stepped around her wheelchair when she spoke again.

“Before you go though, three things.”

Something new in her voice made him freeze. 

“One, there’s family dinner at Bruce’s house at six tonight. It’s, well, not optional.”

Dick was confused as to why she was saying that in _that_ voice, the low, husky voice that made him shiver.

“Two...I have something big planned for you, my darling.” He could _hear_ the grin in her voice. “Come back to our room after after you wash up...if you want it.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Dick swallowed hard. All of a sudden, all his exhaustion vanished, to be replaced by sharp awareness, his heart thrumming in his veins. 

“What kind of something big?”

“Something that’ll make up for us being apart for so long. In both length...and intensity.”

He took a deep breath, trying to contain his astonishment as he looked over his shoulder. She bared her teeth in a grin; his heart pounded.

“You can say no,” she promised. “I won’t be upset. But the thing is...I don’t think you want to.”

Dick took a long, shuddering breath. His hands shook.

“I’ll be there.”

She leaned back, smiling contentedly. He dipped his head; his voice grew soft.

“What was the third thing?”

Barbara tilted her head.

“Oh, I just wanted to ask you not to shave your beard while you were cleaning up.”

“Oh, okay.”

Then she leaned forward, her grin growing. 

“I want to feel it against my pussy when you eat me out.”

Shuddering, Dick ducked out of the room. He could almost hear her soft laughter as he almost ran into the bathroom, dropping his suit to the floor.

He forced himself to breathe, feeling his pulse rising.

 _Well, so much for her not wanting it too,_ he thought, smiling despite himself.

* * *

Barbara slid into her wheelchair with ease, her blood surging with excitement as she rolled into their bedroom.

She could hear the shower running, could hear Dick cursing under his breath even through the ajar bathroom door. Laughing to herself, she retrieved her bag and outfit from the closet, clambering to the bed, draping her outfit over the headboard, and setting the bag down next to her. She lay down slowly, resting her weight casually on her elbow, her hand gracing the curve of her hip, her thick hair curled over her shoulder. The heat of want was already pulsing through her skin; she bit her lip, still smiling, lips curling back over her teeth like a hungry cat. 

The bathroom door finally opened. All he wore was the towel around his waist, clenched shut in his hand, his strong arms and shoulders tight. He’d trimmed his beard, but not shaved, as requested; a little dampness still clung to his golden skin, making it glisten in the afternoon light, his muscular chest rising and falling quickly. Her eyes followed down his chest, down his abdomen, to the little trail of black hair that vanished under his towel. 

Barbara sat up slowly, shaking back her hair. She slowly began to unbutton her shirt, peeling it back slowly to reveal her black lace bra, a tiny little thing that barely covered anything of her breasts, the straps falling off her shoulders, so thin that her white skin and pink nipples peeked clearly through the lace.

She took in his expression of shock, how he bit his lip and swallowed _hard_ ; the black in his blue eyes swiftly growing as he took her in. He took another shuddering breath. 

“You left me alone.” Barbara’s voice dropped low, almost to a growl. It made him catch his breath. “For six...fucking...weeks.”

Dick gulped, blinking rapidly.

“I...I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I...I didn’t want to…”

“Sorry that you did it?” she retorted. Her hand dipped into her jeans, popping the button and fly, sliding them off her legs. His eyes moved to the dip of her thighs, the little black straps of her panties. His shoulders shook. “Or sorry that you’re going to suffer for it?”

“Sorry -- sorry that I did it.”

“Hm.” She tilted her head. Then she lifted her hand, crooking a finger.

He almost fell to the side of the bed, stumbling, before he managed to climb up next to her. Barbara let her gaze wander over his body, resting the tips of her fingers against his collarbone. She traced her fingers down his chest, feeling the strong, rapid beat of his heart, caressing over the warm skin down over his abs, dipping into his navel, down the little trail of black hair. She then took his wrists in hand, almost gently pulling them to his sides, then yanking away his towel to drop it to the floor. 

He was half-hard already, his cock flushing red, beginning to leak little streaks of precum. Her hand encircled him, giving him a sharp squeeze that made him yelp.

“How dare you,” she hissed, squeezing again. He whimpered; she felt him harden further under her grip. “You fucking _left_ me _alone_. What right did you think you had?”

Dick managed to meet her eyes. He was trembling already, looking up at her through his long lashes, lips twitching. 

“None.”

“Yes. Exactly. You had no right.” Her other hand flew up, grabbing his shoulder; her strong hand clenched, her nails bit into his skin. She leaned in a little bit, so that her lips brushed the shell of his ear. Her voice became a low whisper. “Do you know why?” 

His body barely an inch from hers, she felt the heat from his skin, felt his chest rise as he struggled to breathe.

“Because I’m yours.”

Barbara’s nails dug in a little more.

“You’re not done.”

“Because...because you’re my mistress. You do with me what you will.” His voice was breaking, his head bowed, his next breath almost sounded like a sob; she was amazed, as always, by how swiftly and easily he moved into his role. Part of it was, of course, that he was such a natural performer, but she knew that part of it was also because he fucking _loved_ this. He needed it as much as she did. “I...I’m sorry, mistress. I should never have done that, but...but I swear, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Sorry’s not good enough, darling.” She sat back again, releasing him. “You have a _lot_ to make up for. And this time, you had _better_ be good.”

Dick kept his head bowed.

“Yes,” he murmured. “I will.”

Her hands cupped his shoulders again, feeling the solid muscle bunch under her grip. When she had him firm, she stole a kiss, brushing her lips against his, feeling his beard touch her cheek, biting his lower lip.

“I’m going to hold you to that, little bird.”

She pushed him backwards; his back hit the mattress with a _thump_ , his eyes wide, fully hard now, leaking precum. 

“Spread your legs.”

He obeyed. And she fetched her bag, withdrawing the bottle of lube, popping the top with a casual _snap_ before coating her fingers in the slick. One hand braced on his knee, the other moved between his legs, the tip of her finger sliding into his hole. 

His legs tensed; he gasped. 

Barbara kept working him open without pause, without giving him a second to catch his breath, feeling hot arousal pool into her groin as he moaned and whined, his body twitching as she worked in another finger, scissoring him open. She slid them further in, pressing down on his prostate and making him wail out loud. 

“Good job,” she purred, working him ruthlessly, watching his chest and his handsome face flush red, his shoulders shaking, his lower lip clamped between his teeth, “You’re taking it so well.”

She chuckled darkly.

“So far.”

By the time she was able to slide in a third finger, fucking them in and out of him, she decided he was open enough. She pulled out, making him moan again, then held up another of her purchases for him to see.

Dick sat up slightly, then his eyes went wide. 

“Is that remote-controlled?”

“It is,” she confirmed, turning the little vibrator over in her hand. The remote lay innocuously next to her side while she braced her free hand on his thigh. “How do you like that idea, sweetheart?”

He bit his lip, the blush in his cheeks and chest darkening while she waited. 

“G -- go ahead.”

“There’s my sweet boy,” she breathed, bending in to kiss the inside of his strong thigh; he trembled. Sliding her other hand in between his legs, she began to insert the toy, making him yelp slightly as it breached his entrance. It took a moment, but soon she had it all the way inside him, resting snugly against his prostate. 

Barbara sat back and allowed him to breathe, to adjust. 

“You doing alright?” It came out closer to her normal voice.

“Good,” Dick managed to say. “I’m doing good.”

“Very good.” She slid backwards along the bed, noticing his eyes fixate on her every move, plucking up the remote control. “Now get dressed.”

 _That_ took him aback. He sat up straight, staring in surprise. 

Barbara laughed a little.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about dinner with your family.” She brushed her hair back over her shoulder, glancing at the nightstand clock. “We can’t waste any time getting ready, you know. We have to be there by six, and it’s already four-thirty.”

She savored the look on his face as he realized, as he fell back again, eyes huge with shock. 

“I…my family…are you sure?”

“Very.” She eased herself into her wheelchair. It was a little disappointing not being able to have her way with him _just_ yet... but this was going to make the wait worth it. She looked right at him, something in her expression making him visibly shiver. “And they had _better_ not realize what’s going on.”

Dick whimpered; it made her blood surge.

“But...my sister…”

“Not even your sister.”

He trembled slightly, not responding at first. Then he dipped his head slightly.

“Good boy.” Barbara took her clothes and shoes from the closet, turning her chair towards the bathroom. She spared him one more look over her shoulder. “You had better not let me down, darling.” It came out almost like a growl. “I would hate for that to happen.”

He shuddered again, and she shut the bathroom door behind her, still laughing softly to herself.

* * *

They arrived at Wayne Manor at five-fifty-two. Midwinter snow lay heavy over the grounds, blanketing the grass and trees in a layer of white, icicles dripping from the roof and every windowsill, glittering in the fresh moonlight; the sun had already fallen and the world was painted in dark, soft blue. Barbara had barely rung the bell when Alfred opened the door to greet them, a small, restrained English smile twitching across his lips.

“Hello, Miss Barbara. And Master Richard, it is very good to see you again.”

Dick smiled too. 

“It’s good to be home, Alfie.”

“My dear boy…” The old butler cupped Dick’s face. Then the small smile became a small frown. “Could you not have shaved?”

“Leave him alone, I think he looks good,” piped a voice from behind Alfred. Stephanie poked her head above his shoulder; she was wearing bright magenta lipstick and had her hair up in a curly ponytail with her purple sleeveless dress, reminiscent of circa-2011 Taylor Swift. “Like one of the Dothraki, except in suit pants.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he laughed as she wriggled through the door, shivering briefly, then wrapping up both members of the couple in hugs. “It’s good to see you, Steph. Is everyone else here?”

“Yep. They’re just inside, helping set up. So you better get your asses in here too, Khal and Khaleesi; we _know_ you’ve got stories to tell.”

Dick released her from the hug, and Stephanie skipped back inside, clearly elated. Alfred shook his head fondly, then followed her. 

“Ladies first?” Dick inquired. 

Barbara smirked up at him, making his heart skip, before rolling inside. 

He couldn’t believe how good she looked. Her hair falling around her shoulders and back in shimmering, fiery waves, her lips painted bright red, her glasses foregone for contacts so that he could look straight into her brilliant eyes. Most of all, as she shrugged off her jacket, he was able to look upon her in both of their favorite dress. The soft fabric was deep green, Oracle green; the long skirt swept loose around her legs, but the sleeveless top hugged her figure, the neckline plunging, all of which made it _very_ difficult not to stare at her chest or at her shoulders and arms. Emerald-and-diamond earrings, a birthday present from Bruce, completed the look. 

He’d been half-hard the entire car ride over, and she hadn’t even switched on the vibrator yet; he felt hyper-aware of its presence, of how it filled him ever so slightly, and he kept catching sight of the remote even as it was hidden inside her purse.

Dick took off his jacket and took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, following his wife, stepped through the foyer and into the dining room. 

Sure enough, all the other kids were already there. Cass was in a pearl necklace that had belonged to Martha Wayne and the same little black dress she wore whenever she had to dress up, her feet bare as she placed the silverware down on the table. Their brothers -- Dick’s heart lifted upon seeing them again -- all in button-downs and dress pants, Damian having also been wrangled into a tie and jacket that made him look both sulky and adorable, squabbling with each other about whose job it was to set which aspect of the table. Duke was holding a vase full of flowers, Tim an armful of napkins folded like swans, and Jason struggling to balance a disturbingly high stack of plates; Selina, in a red dress and gold jewelry and impressive black eyeliner, and Kate, wearing heavy lipstick and a suit and tie of her own, were already sitting down, ignoring the clamor. 

But upon seeing Dick and Barbara, Tim all but threw down the napkins, running over and embracing his brother; Dick swiftly embraced him back. Everyone else, including Kate and Selina, looked up, then got to their own feet, Damian elbowing Tim out of the way to grab Dick by the wrist. 

“Grayson!” The boy’s voice was high and intent. “You have been gone far too long!”

“So I’ve been told.” Dick bent to hug him too, despite Damian’s grumbles. “I missed you too, kiddo.”

Duke was next, then Jason, then Selina. His stepmother huffed gently as she embraced him; her jewelry clinked melodically and she smelled like expensive perfume and cat fur, familiar as breathing. 

“You and your father and your sister alike,” she declared, then gently poked his nose with one long red nail. “You all work too hard, kitten.”

“That’s only...one woman’s opinion,” came Cass’s voice nearby. 

“That’s everyone’s opinion, Cassie,” Steph said.

Barbara chuckled softly as Selina released him and ruffled his hair. He moved back over, glancing at her, swallowing as he took her in again, at the barely-contained power in her upper body, at the lush curves under her dress, the full slope of her breasts only partially covered -- she _did_ look different than when he’d left, he was sure of it. Her hands were folded innocuously in her lap, over her purse, and her expression was serene. 

Bruce then distracted him by walking in, wearing a three-piece suit and an unusually relaxed expression. Behind him stood Alfred, bearing platters of appetizers and wine bottles; everyone obligingly, eagerly, took to the table. 

Cass took Dick’s left side while Barbara took his right, his brothers filling the other side of the table, and Steph spoke up. 

“So c’mon, tell us. What was going on in space for the last month and a half? Beyond the mission reports, I mean.”

Alfred poured most of the adults wine; Barbara shook her head when it was her turn, apparently content with her water glass.

“What about all of you?” Bruce asked in return. “You didn’t burn anything down while I was gone, did you?”

“Define ‘burn down.’”

As the appetizers were served, everyone began chatting excitedly about the ongoings of the last six weeks. Jason, Tim, and Damian constantly interrupted each other while Duke struggled to tell a consistent story of their tracking down of a serial killer, and Kate entertained everyone with the tale of how the crew of the Javelin had managed to get rid of Lobo. By the time the entrees graced the table, Dick had relaxed. Of course he was still aware of the presence of the vibrator inside him, but it was manageable. Nobody saw anything off about him. Barbara wasn’t _really_ going to --

It switched on, and he immediately choked on his wine. 

Bruce stopped droning on about alien politics and looked concerned.

“Dick, are you alright?”

He patted his mouth with his napkin, hands shaking, and nodded, glancing over at his wife. She sipped from her water glass one-handed, her eyes languid, her other hand still hidden underneath the tablecloth. Dick took a deep breath, and tried to adjust to the sensation, the pleasure rippling through him, that heat was now coiling through his body again; he felt his blood begin to sink to his groin. 

He looked away from Cass, trying to keep his voice level.

“It’s strange to be back,” he remarked. “Trying to adjust to having been gone so long...and I know it’s not just me. The poor team. Karen’s probably got about a mountain-sized backlog of company paperwork, J’onn’s going to have to get re-used to pretending to be human, and Donna went from a childfree existence to getting roped into taking Robbie to see _Frozen II_.”

“Don’t bring _that_ up,” Jason groused. “I’m going to have to go see it too, with Roy and Lian. I hate it. Lian’s seen _Frozen_ like ten times. I could sing every single one of the songs in my sleep. I could probably quote the entire movie from goddamn memory. That damn snowman is going to haunt me till the day I die.”

“I love _Frozen_ ,” Cass said unexpectedly and matter-of-factly. Steph nodded solemnly.

“Man, I’d pay actual money to see _you_ of all people recite that movie from memory,” Duke said to Jason, laughing. “Seriously. Where’s my wallet?”

Damian snickered. 

“Perhaps, Todd, you have finally found a career suited to your personality.”

“Oh, fuck off.”

Dick barely heard a word of it. The pleasure was spreading through his whole body, humming through him; he had to force his breaths to not shake, his hands clenching into fists around his fork and knife. This time, when he tried to sneak a look at Barbara, she caught him, meeting his gaze. Her red lips curled into a smirk, making his arousal spike further, still eating and drinking slowly, casually brushing her bright hair over her shoulder as he felt himself get harder, more aroused, starting to become painful in the confines of his slacks. 

His hand shook as he raised his glass to his lips again. Every slight motion caused his clothes to rub against his growing erection, causing another spike of pleasure-pain to go through him, and the vibrator was _still_ going. Oh, but she was careful to keep it on the lower setting so that he couldn’t come; every time he came near the edge, his breathing starting to get more labored, she switched it off, forcing him down from his high. But she never kept it off long enough to let him become less aroused. 

“Dick, how much wine have you had?” Tim asked as the other kids squabbled over which Disney movies Jason should act out next. “Your cheeks are all red.”

He managed a smile at his brother, shifting, forcing himself to stifle a moan.

“You’re right, Tim. I should probably cut myself off.”

“You’ve only just finished your second glass,” Selina said, tilting her head to the side.

Jason scoffed.

“Fuckin’ lightweight.”

“Yes,” said Cass from beside him, looking at her older brother, her expression inscrutable as always. Dick tried to smile again, but he was so painfully aroused he had no idea how normal it looked. 

“Yeah. That’s me.”

“Best pace yourself more carefully from now on, Boy Wonder,” Barbara murmured, blinking her green eyes slowly, shifting languidly, reminding him of a smug, contented cat. Dick was so _desperate_ for relief, to be away from all these eyes, and she was taunting him. 

“I’m _so_ glad you’re here to help me with all your little reminders, Babs; you’re _such_ a good wife,” he managed through gritted teeth, and her smug aura evaporated; her eyes instantly narrowed. Dick did his best to stifle a whimper. 

Oh, he was going to pay for that. He was bad, so bad for mouthing off at her. 

The rest of the main course passed by agonizingly slowly until finally, _finally_ the dishes were cleared away. Bruce _hmmed_ contentedly as the kids kept chattering about school, about work, while Kate and Selina talked amongst themselves. 

“Does anyone have time to stay for coffee and dessert?” Bruce asked gruffly. “Or do you all need to head home and recuperate from the mission, or --” He eyeballed Steph and his younger four sons, “-- get ready for patrol?”

Dick was about to speak up, to politely decline, but Barbara beat him to the punch. 

“We’d _love_ to stay for dessert,” she decided, resting her chin on her hand. “Right, Dick?”

The vibrator turned on again, and he had to struggle not to cry out.

“Sure, Bruce,” he gasped out, “We...I...would be happy to stay.”

Barbara smiled again.

* * *

The poor thing. By the time everyone had finished their coffee and tiramisu, it was nearly nine-thirty at night; he was practically shaking, his breathing labored. Cass kept glancing over at him as she talked about their encounter with the warlords of Okaara, her brows furrowing slightly, oh, and Barbara was going to make him pay for that too. She had been growing progressively more aroused herself over the night, her power trip sending heat through her body, feeling wetness seep between her legs with every stifled cry, with each of her husband’s shudders and labored breaths. 

“And that’s what you missed on _The Good Place_ ,” Steph was saying. “Man, am I going to miss that show when it ends.”

“We missed _so_ much,” Kate sighed. “We missed all these great-sounding movies, shit, we missed Hanukkah...and Renee practically pounced on me when I walked through the door this afternoon. All jokes aside, I really missed her too.”

Barbara nodded sympathetically. 

“Yeah, you _do_ need to see _Hustlers_ and _Parasite_ and _Knives Out_ ,” Jason agreed. “Great films. Great leading actresses. Very ‘eat the rich.’ I approve.”

“You would, Jason.”

Dick shifted in his chair, audibly stifling a very long, very painful-sounding whine. Barbara toyed with the vibrator remote, then clicked it off, sliding it back into her purse and resting both hands on the table again. 

“Thanks for having us over, Bruce,” she said, then, half-jokingly, “Though I expect you’ll want us to do something in return?”

“I expect, though he won’t say it, Master Bruce would like you to repay him by giving him grandchildren.”

Barbara blinked hard. Dick snapped out of his reverie long enough to look surprised too...then his expression became soft, making her heart beat a little faster.

“ _Alfred…_ ” Bruce, for his part, turned scarlet. 

“You did not deny it, sir.”

Barbara covered her mouth, clearing her throat.

“Well, uh…”

“You’ll get right on it?” Jason said slyly. Then: “Don’t though, it gets so much harder to see movies you actually want to see.”

“Who says _they_ don’t want to see Disney movies?” Duke shrugged. Damian rolled his eyes. 

To cover up her surprise, Barbara hugged the girls goodbye and they bade their farewells to the rest of their family. As they made their way out the door, she heard Cass murmuring to Steph:

“Did Dick seem weird to you?”

“He...seemed like Dick?” she heard Steph say before the door closed. 

As soon as it did, Dick practically ran to the car, diving into the passenger seat. But when Barbara rolled to it, she clambered into the backseat, carefully picking up and stowing her wheelchair to the side. 

Her husband, panting slightly, looked back at her. She lifted a hand, beckoning him forward; he shuddered, then hastily clambered into the back. There was so little spare room that they were all but pressed together; Barbara wasted no time in seizing by the face, pulling him roughly to her, kissing him hard. He buried himself in the kiss in return, all but falling into her lap as she bit down, dragging on his lip, as her hands tangled in his hair. He shrugged himself out of his coat as she pulled off her own, and she yanked on his hair, making him yelp. 

“You almost got caught,” she reproached him, and he bowed his head. His lip was swollen from her bite, and he was still flushed and red, his hair now mussed. “Your sister was just about on to you.”

“I’m sorry.” Dick’s voice sounded wrecked. “I -- I did my best, I promise.”

“And then you had the nerve to mouth off at me, in front of your whole family…” She dragged a finger down the front of his button-up, down to the front of his slacks, before ruthlessly seizing his crotch, taking him in hand. The cry that escaped his lips sounded strangled. “First you leaving, now this...what _am_ I going to do with you?”

“I -- I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” His pretty blue eyes looked wet; he was _so_ hard in her hand, it had to be painful. Her own arousal spiked; her pussy ached. “I’ll be better. I will. I swear it.”

“Yes. You will.”

She let him go, then took the hem of her skirt in hand, lifting it up to her thighs. Dick blinked hard, his eyes widening. 

“Do you know how you can begin to make it up to me?”

“I...please tell me.”

Barbara smiled, and he shuddered.

“Well, I hope dinner didn’t fill you up...because I want you to put your face in my cunt and eat it like it’s the best thing you’ve ever tasted.”

He shivered, then wasted no time in getting on his knees and pushing her skirts up higher, till they were around her hips. Her clit throbbed just looking at him, her pussy dripping as she took in the sight of him on his knees, head bowed. A finger hooked around her tiny black panties, pulling them to her ankles, before he gently, almost hesitantly, pushed her knees further apart. 

“Can I…”

“Yes.”

His hands clasped her thighs, sliding with the folds of her dress up to her hips; for a moment, she did not feel them, felt nothing, then another moment later she felt the touch of his mouth for the first time in six weeks.

“Oh…” she breathed.

This had been worth waiting for.

The laps of his tongue were slow and gentle at first, as if he still couldn’t quite believe he was here again, but quickly the pace increased, his rough tongue lapping up along her folds, pushing into her slick pussy, flicking inside her. His beard rasped at her cunt while his lips closed over her clit and he suckled at it, making her shout, hands grasping, the nails of one digging into the fabric of the seats, her other seizing hold of his hair again, yanking on it. 

His rough tongue teased briefly along her lips, before he buried his face back in between her thighs, eating noisily, making her shout and swear breathlessly, the waves of pleasure hitting through her whole body; his nose rubbed her swollen clit as he kept devouring her, his lips smacking as her pussy seeped over his face, her slick dripping from his mouth. 

She gazed down at him, his head buried between her legs, his eyes heavily lidded with bliss, and despite the scene she had set, her heart filled with affection. The hand tangled in his hair briefly let go, then stroked over his head. 

“That’s better,” she purred. “You’re doing so good, darling.”

He moaned softly against her pussy, making her gasp, not letting up, but taking to her again like he was starving, her flesh seeming to burn, throbbing harder as he devoured her, his tongue taking every bit, drinking in every drop. 

Her orgasm rushed through her hard and fast, her hand pulling _hard_ on his hair as she came, shouting. When he pulled away, his expression was one of hopeful pride; his mouth was swollen and shiny with slick, lips looking like maraschino cherries. The bulge in his slacks was more noticeable than ever as she pulled her skirts back down, picking her panties up off the car floor. 

“Am I better?” Dick murmured, his voice demure. 

Barbara cupped his face in her hands, their eyes meeting again. 

“Oh…” Her voice dropped low. “You are most certainly beginning to redeem yourself.” She caressed a hand along his cheek. “But you’re not done yet.”

Dick nodded, his eyes downcast in a way that had her already beginning to get wet again.

“We’ll continue this at home,” she finished. “Get in the front.”

The drive home went by in a blur. She could almost feel Dick’s eyes on her as they raced through the city streets, his obvious longing. She bit her lip, thinking of how she truly held what was going to happen to him in her hands, shivering delightedly to herself. 

They were barely through the door to their home when she set upon him, dragging him down to her level, crushing his lips to hers again, licking into his mouth. He tasted like her cum, and he knelt, cupping his hand to her waist, kissing her back desperately, eager to please. 

“Our bedroom,” she growled into his mouth, “now.”

He pulled away only to practically run to it, and she followed, wheeling slowly...lingering in the doorway as he waited before their bed. 

“Strip for me.”

He obeyed, slowly, almost coyly, teasing open his button-down, sliding his pants down his legs, glancing over to her as he bent, like he was garnering her reaction. Barbara bit the nail of her index finger, not taking her eyes off him for a moment, watching as he finally slid his boxers off. He was _so_ hard, his cock _so_ red, the tip flushed almost purple and all but weeping precum. 

Barbara grinned, vulpine, rolling to him, tossing her panties to the side and reaching up, slowly unzipping the back of her dress. She watched his chest rise and fall as she slid it down, finally slipping it off her legs and draping it over the back of her chair. Wearing nothing but the black lace bra, her tits all but spilling out of it, she tossed her head back, staring him down. Dick’s next breath shuddered.

“Get on the bed.” Her voice was low, left no room for argument. “Now.”

He did so at once, and she in turn retrieved the remote, then, from the bag she’d left on the nightstand, took out a short riding crop, another new toy. His eyes widened again; he backed up almost to the headboard. 

“Dick.” She said it soft, almost in her normal voice. “Say the word if you don’t want to.”

He took a deep breath, then let out out slowly.

“I want to.”

She nodded. A moment later, she straightened her back, her voice lowering again. She rolled to the bed as she spoke, fingers caressing both toys, watching her husband’s chest heave, watching his cock leave smears of pre on his flat stomach. 

“Are you going to keep being good for me?” she purred, rolling the crop between her fingers. “Are you going to make up all those long, lonely nights to me?”

“Yes,” he whimpered. “Yes, mistress.”

“Mmm.” She smiled with her teeth, like a wolf. “I believe you. Good boy, sweet boy. My pretty little bird, my sweet plaything.”

He was shaking like a leaf now, pupils blown so wide you could hardly see any more blue. Barbara pulled herself out of her chair and onto the bed, all but prowling towards him, sitting up just a couple feet from him. She could almost feel his breath on her skin, and heat prickled through her, her pussy soaking the sheets underneath her. 

“Hands and knees.”

He quickly obeyed, all but presenting his ass to her. She stroked a hand up his strong thigh, giving it a preliminary smack, hard enough to leave a mark. Then, smirking, she picked up the remote again, clicking it back on; he jumped slightly and hissed through his teeth. 

She twirled the crop once more and pulled it back. The _thwack_ of the leather against bare skin burst through the room; Dick’s back arched. 

“I never want you to forget that you’re mine,” she breathed. She slapped the crop twice more against his ass, staring at the red marks that rose on his golden skin, reaching out to rub them with a kind of tenderness. “You think you can leave me?” _Thwack._ He let out a choked noise, deep in his throat. “No. You’re all mine, darling.” _Thwack._ “You will _always_ be mine.”

“Y -- yes,” he managed to say, his voice choked. “I’m yours, I -- I’ll always be yours, I swear, mistress.”

“ _Yes._ ” The next smack was harder, left a redder mark. He keened. “You think of me when you’re on your missions, sweetheart. You think of me when you’re tempted to get caught up in your work, you _remember_ , you remember whose home you live in, who shares your bed, _who gets to see you like this._ ” 

She leaned forward and kissed the small of his back, hands caressing his thighs once more before she drew back, the riding crop coming down on him once more. 

“Because you love this, don’t you?” Her words rumbled through her chest. “You love being at my mercy. You love being mine, don’t you, my pretty little bird?”

“Yes,” he practically sobbed, “Yes I love this, I love being yours, I love being good for you, please, please --”

“Is there something you want, darling?” He nodded. “Do you want to come, sweetheart?” Another nod. “Hm. You’re going to have to beg a little harder for that.”

“Please, please...oh God, _please_ …”

Barbara smiled, setting aside the crop and picking the remote up. 

“Go ahead.”

Almost the second she clicked it to the higher setting, he came untouched, crying out long and loud, almost collapsing down to the bed. Barbara clicked the remote off, tossing it aside, then moved upwards, reached forward to touch the side of his face. 

“How are you, pet?”

He turned his head slowly, his eyes heavily lidded, offering her a lopsided smile. 

“Really good,” he slurred. 

“Yes…you do need this, don’t you?”

“Need to be used...yeah…”

Barbara kissed his cheek, then pushed at his side, turning him onto his back. He scooched back and half-sat up at the edge of the bed. It took a minute of maneuvering, but she was soon straddling his thigh, slick pussy against his skin. She rubbed herself against him a bit, making them both hiss. Then she reached up, slowly and deliberately running her fingers along the edge of her bra, cupping her tits in each hand, the straps falling down her shoulders as Dick roused himself again, lifting his head to stare. She leaned forward a bit, hands sliding underneath her bra, fondling her tits, pinching her nipples through the lace, gasping; they were so sensitive. 

“Can I...please…”

“Use your words, darling.”

“Can I…” Dick bit his lip. “Can I touch you?”

“Oh…” She smiled at him again. “Yes, you’ve been good. I think you deserve a little treat.”

She picked up his wrists, and his shaking hands moved around her back, unclipping her bra and sliding it off. It was tossed to the side somewhere, and his hands replaced hers, rough and warm on her breasts. His thumb moved in circles over her nipples, hands squeezing lightly, making her moan softly. 

“Mm...that feels nice...you’re doing so well…”

She flexed her upper body, forcing herself to rub against him more, grinding her clit against his skin, sending little shocks through her pussy. At the same time, his breathing was growing labored again after mere minutes, as his hands caressed her, one gravitating down to cup the curve of her hip. Barbara reached down and grabbed his cock; he was hard again in her hand, as she rubbed her thumb over the tip. She let go and kissed him, nipping at his lip, then reached upwards, seizing the top of the headboard. 

She lifted herself up, and finally, _finally,_ slowly sank down on his cock, enveloping him fully, both of them making low, guttural noises in their throats as she had him inside her again after so long. He filled her aching, throbbing cunt so perfectly, and after so many nights alone, the wait finally seemed worth it. 

Dick breathed shallowly as she flexed her arms, forcing herself to move a little bit against him. Then, smirking triumphantly, she lifted herself almost completely off him, the headboard creaking in her grip, then slammed herself back down _hard_.

“Oh,” she gasped, laughing slightly. “Yeah. This is _only_ mine.”

Dick groaned in agreement, his hands holding onto her hips as she started riding him hard, his hips soon swiftly thrusting upwards, matching her fast, rough, near-desperate pace. Both of them breathlessly moaned and gasped; after mere minutes their bed was rocking and creaking as she fucked him hard, her arms shaking the headboard, as he thrust into her on each entry with enough strength to knock the breath from her lungs. One hand slid down from her hip to between her thighs, his finger pressing down on her clit. The _thump_ and _rattle_ of the bed, the heat of his skin, his cock filling her up, the fast-paced thunder of her heart, it was all so much. 

“So good, baby, you’re so fucking good,” she gasped, as she slammed herself on him, making him groan loudly. “God, how I love that you’re mine.”

“Me too,” he sighed. “Yours. Only yours.”

She kissed him again, the heat coiling tight in her belly, and, judging by the way he was trembling beneath her, he was close to the edge again as well. Her movements took on a new vigor, both of their fucking now with an even sloppier, rougher desperation, both of them chasing each others’ ends. 

Again, it hit her suddenly, shocking through her all at once; she clenched down on him and rode it out with a long cry. He came a moment later, his cum rushing into her all at once, filling her further, groaning low in his throat. 

For a minute, they remained like that, coming down from their highs, panting hard. Then she rolled off him, and they fell on their backs on either side of the bed, her hair tumbling down all around her as she turned to look at him. 

“Dick?” she said softly. His expression was slightly dazed as he turned to look at her too. “Are you okay?”

He blinked once, then a genuine smile crossed his face. It was so bright, it flooded her chest at once with warmth. 

“More okay than I’ve been in six weeks.”

* * *

Dick leaned back into the pillows, his entire body feeling like it was melting into the bed. At first he barely noticed as Barbara managed to sit up again, moving to gently take the vibrator out of him, then rolling to the bathroom; he heard the sink running for a few minutes while she washed it and her hands. He closed his eyes, and didn’t open them again until he felt his wife’s rough, strong hands gently caress the outside of his thighs, smelled the delicate sweet scent of the lotion she was rubbing into his sore skin. 

“This feel nice?” Her voice was gentle now. For her talk of her being the only one getting to see him a certain way, he felt privileged now too. Their enemies only thought of her as hard, as cold, but he got to see her differently, saw her being warm, affectionate, and loving. 

“Yeah, that’s good.”

She hummed softly, then resumed her ministrations, working away the last of the tension from his muscles, working him into a comfortable, sleepy state. 

“Is that lotion new?” he murmured. “I like it.”

“Yeah.” Her touch was soft all around, but she paid special attention to his old scars and injuries, rubbing it in so carefully. He looked up, seeing that her contacts were gone, her glasses balanced on the bridge of her nose rather adorably. “Christmas present from Helena. Apparently in the winter I have, and I quote, ‘an ashy elbows problem.’”

He chuckled faintly. 

“Well, no offense to Helena, but I honestly never even noticed.”

“Yeah…” Her voice was warm, “but let’s face it honey, you’re heavily biased.”

“Ooh, you got me.” He laughed softly again, then sobered. “I hate that I missed the holidays. And...you know, everything else.”

Barbara was quiet for a minute, just continued in her aftercare. It wasn’t until she handed him a glass of water, letting him drink deeply, that she spoke again. 

“Not the same in deep space?”

“Diana told us a lot of wild stories about Haloea celebrations on Themyscira, and Kate taped a very bad drawing of a menorah to one of the Javelin windows and forced Bruce to lead us in prayer, and that was about all we got.”

“Oh,” she said, “then it might make you feel better that you just missed a lot of annual holiday chaos. Steph may or may not have cut down a pine from off the side of the interstate to be the Christmas tree, Tim almost started a fire with Martha Wayne’s menorah, and Jason and Damian about killed each other because they thought they had stolen each other’s gelt.”

“They should know better. Stealing gelt is basically a Wayne family holiday tradition at this point. So who really took it?”

“Duke.”

“Ah.”

She set the empty water glass and lotion tub aside, then lay back down next to him. Dick wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in as close as he could; her warm body against his causing his heart to swell. She pulled the covers up over them, the two of them nestling into the pillows, taking off her glasses, setting them on the nightstand too. 

“We really did miss you guys too,” Barbara said softly. “Steph was about going crazy without Cass, the guys were miserable without their dad, though Jason will never admit it, and I…” She stopped.

“And you?” 

“I missed _you_.” She wiped at her eyes. “It felt wrong to be without you, especially...especially now.”

Dick looked over at the window, at the blue winter night and the snow piled against the sill. Through the omnipresent cloud cover, a shimmer of silver moonlight poked through. 

“It’s weird,” he said. “We’ve only been married a year and a half, but it feels like we’ve been together for so much longer.”

“Put that down to all the constant threats to life and limb we’ve been facing most of our lives?”

“Well yeah, of course.”

He faced her again, and the two of them snuggled in close. Barbara tucked his hair out of his face, kissing both his cheeks, then his nose, before she finally settled on his lips.

“I love you,” she murmured. “I really do love you.”

He must have drifted off soon after that, because the next thing he knew, winter sunlight was streaming through the bedroom window, cast right into his face. He groaned, lifting his arm to cover his face, his other hand moving to the other side of the bed. It was empty, and that woke him up at once; he momentarily panicked, thinking he was alone again. 

“Morning, Rip Van Winkle. I almost forgot how much scenes like that wipe you out; you’ve been asleep for eleven hours.”

Dick removed his arm, his heart lifting. Sure enough, Barbara was in the doorway, wearing her favorite bathrobe with two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. It was so incredibly domestic, so ordinary and familiar after such a long mission so far from home, that it made him smile at once. 

“I don’t even remember the last time I slept for more than four hours at a time, so that was probably part of it too,” he admitted as she rolled over, setting the coffee on the nightstand as she clambered back into bed, then passing the blue-glazed mug to him, taking the green one for herself. 

“Oh, I _get_ that.”

Bathed in sunlight, comfortable in bed next to each other, for a while they both just enjoyed their coffee in easy silence. It wasn’t until they’d both drained their cups and set them aside that she sighed, speaking up again. 

“Though the decaf coffee really does nothing for me.”

Dick cast her a surprised look, moving back next to her. 

“It’s not like you to drink decaf in the morning.”

Barbara, almost in opposition to her strong, powerful self of the previous night, ducked her head and looked at her hands almost nervously.

“No, it’s not,” she admitted.

“Wait, yeah, and you didn’t have any coffee last night. And you didn’t have any wine, either.” Dick shook his head, confused. “Why?”

His wife bit her lip, looking back up at him. For a moment, panic lit her eyes, and his heart seized.

“Because I’m pregnant.”

Dick dropped his empty coffee cup. 

He was sure his expression must’ve been good, because she managed a smile and a small laugh, which made his heart unclench and swell to fit his ribcage.

“You...me...we…”

“Yeah.” She shrugged almost sheepishly. “Surprise.”

For another second, he just stared. Then he practically leapt across the bed, seizing her in his arms and planting kisses on her face. 

“Dick…” she laughed softly, catching his face in her hands. He was overwhelmed with love for her, her and the soft expression on her face. “Slow your roll there, Boy Wonder.”

“I love you, I love you so much, I -- you’re really pregnant? We’re going to have a baby?” 

“Yeah, I really am. We are.”

“And even with work, I didn’t...I didn’t miss it.”

He embraced her again -- then pulled back slightly. 

“You picked a hell of a way to tell me, you know.”

Her laugh was a little more dry this time.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t a way that was too different from what happened when _you_ told _me_ you wanted to marry me.”

He kissed her face once more.

“And I’m very, very happy that I did.”

This time, she kissed him back, her glasses falling slightly askew, green eyes warm with love.

Their life was so hard sometimes. But right then, everything suddenly seemed worth it.

“Well, now we gotta see your family again. Tell them the news.”

“Yeah…” He pulled her a little closer, feeling the solid warmth of her in his arms, his heart full. Despite the previous night, they both knew he would have to leave again eventually, the mission always came first, but in the meantime, he would stay right here, where they knew he belonged. “Can uh, _you_ tell your father?”

She snorted under her breath, wrapping her arms around his waist in turn. He had never felt more in the moment, so captivated by the feeling of her body against his, her strong arms around him. The glittering snow outside, the bright winter sun, casting everything it touched in white gold. 

“On one condition.”

“Yeah?”

“After our kid is born, whenever we take them to the movies...we don’t bring Jason.”

“Deal.”

Though it was still winter, right then, after so long, the sun outside seemed to shine a little warmer.

**Author's Note:**

> If you can, you actually *should* definitely see Hustlers, Parasite, and Knives Out. (And, for that matter, Frozen II.)


End file.
